10 Ways to be Bold in Prayer

1 John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us."

God always answers prayers—sometimes not with the answer we want, but He doesn’t ignore the pleas of His children. Most of the time, if we think God isn’t answering, it’s because we’re not listening. Make time to get away from the things distracting you from the Lord, and focus on hearing from your Heavenly Father who longs to speak with you. 

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James 4:2b …"You do not have, because you do not ask."

Sometimes God responds to our prayers with a flat, “no.” But He still cares. He knows the hairs on our heads and the longings of our hearts, and He is not indifferent to either. Sometimes, we don’t have because we don’t ask. Don’t be guilty of that—bring your petitions before the Lord with trust and confidence!

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James 1:6-8 (MSG) "Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open."

In Joshua 10, Joshua was losing the battle. He prayed a big prayer—for the sun to stand still in the sky. God answered him, and the battle was won. We need to stop being intimidated to pray for miracles. It’s up to the Lord to grant them—it’s up to us to ask. God doesn’t need our prayers in order to provide, but He often invites us into the process. Answered prayers build our faith. Pray big!

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Sometimes we’re hesitant to pray because we’re afraid of the answer. We want God’s will or direction in our lives, but we’re secretly scared He’s going to command us to walk through a door we don’t want to open—or perhaps it’s the opposite. Maybe you’re afraid He’s going to shut a door you desperately want to run through. Either way, be bold and pray through the fear. You can trust His heart toward you and know that His answer is for your greatest good. 

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Thankfully, the answer to our prayers doesn’t rest on us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that responsibility! God is sovereign, and we are not—for good reason. When we pray, we can trust that He will answer with what is best. We’re not praying in a desperate effort to change God’s mind, we’re praying in an effort to change our hearts. He sees the big picture. We can trust Him to answer for our good and for His glory.

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Sometimes we are hesitant to pray because we think “if God is sovereign, what does it matter anyway?” The truth is, it does matter. There are many verses in the Bible that command us to pray. If it wasn’t important, Jesus wouldn’t have taught the disciples how to pray when they asked. Also, consider Hebrews 4:16, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. God invites us to come to Him with boldness."

He wouldn’t have offered that if our prayers have no effect. Also, remember Elijah. James 5:17-18 "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit."

So pray—and pray often!

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Obstacles, such as harboring unforgiveness, can obstruct our prayer life. James 5:16 makes this clear. "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." The Bible also talks about getting right with our brother before bringing our sacrifice to the altar. (Matthew 5) If you’re praying over a matter in your life and there seems to be no answer, consider this possibility as the reason, and do your part to make it right.

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Too often, our prayers stem from selfish motives. We’re human, it’s natural. But we should fight our flesh and evaluate our prayers—is the root of them to give ourselves glory, or to give God glory? Something to keep in mind as you press in with bold prayers.

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1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." The Bible says to pray without ceasing—which means, to always be in an attitude of prayer. When we develop the awareness needed to activate this discipline, we’ll see how praying more frequently leads to hearing more answers.

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As women, we’re often racked with insecurity. But our identity doesn’t stem from social media, our careers, or our roles as mom or wife. 

Romans 8:15-18 "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

We are heirs with Christ—daughters of the King. We should pray from this position with confidence!

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of fourteen inspirational romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her newlywed hubby, two story-telling young daughters, a collection of Austen novels, and an impressive stash of Pickle Pringles. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored in Christ. When she's not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a white-chocolate mocha. Look for her latest novel with HarperCollins, LOVE ARRIVES IN PIECES, and POCKET PRAYERS FOR FRIENDS with Max Lucado. Visit her at http://www.betsystamant.com./

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